Reports that Transport Minister Anthony Albanese will back the construction of Sydney's M4 East, M5 East duplication and the F3 to M2 tunnel link in today's budget threatens to repeat the motorway mistakes of former NSW state Labor governments that proved to be financial disasters and only added to Sydney's road congestion, said Greens Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon (http://tinyurl.com/7m2t8bn).

"Any decision by the Minister to involve the private sector in Sydney motorways suggests he has learnt nothing from the transport scandals that dogged his state Labor colleagues", Senator Rhiannon said.

"Under successive state Labor governments both the Cross City and Lane Cove Tunnels went into receivership and proved to be a cost burden on the public.

"Mr Albanese is gaining the new title of minister for motorways. He has a poor record in backing public transport compared with motorway expansion.

"Up to this budget the federal Labor government had allocated more than $12 billion for transport but only a fraction of this has gone to public transport.

"This budget is an opportunity for Minister Albanese to show leadership and vision in solving Sydney's transport crisis. The solution lies with a modern public transport system that reduces people's dependence on cars.

"Before the budget is even officially announced it appears Minister Albanese has notched up another Labor failure by backing polluting new motorways.

"Labor should boost public transport funding - that's the way to reduce traffic and sustain an economically productive city that is attractive to live and work in," Senator Rhiannon said.